Pope Leo has unexpectedly become a trending topic among Pokémon fans after viral images surfaced claiming he signed a Popplio Pokémon card.
The surprise moment originated from a social media post on X by user @ItsMeKingTheo, who wrote, “MY HOMIE GOT HIS POPPLIO POKEMON CARD SIGNED BY POPE LEO.”
The post included three images: one showing a standard Popplio card, another showing a man meeting Pope Leo, and the last appearing to display the Pope’s signature on the card itself.
While no official confirmation has been made, the internet was quick to respond with a mix of amusement and amazement.
Popplio, a water-type starter from the seventh generation of Pokémon games, first appeared in Pokémon Sun and Moon on the Nintendo 3DS.
The card, now allegedly graced by the Pope’s signature, has been dubbed “blessed” by fans in jest.
It’s unclear what the Vatican’s stance is on Pokémon, but the moment has already sparked countless memes and speculation about which Pokémon might be next to receive papal approval.
Microsoft has laid off about 9,000 workers in the midst of a newly-announced $80 billion AI investment — and apparently, those who just lost their jobs should be talking to ChatGPT about it.
As Aftermath reports, an executive producer at Microsoft-owned Xbox ended up with egg on his face after suggesting that laid off workers pour their hearts out to AI.
“These are really challenging times, and if you’re navigating a layoff or even quietly preparing for one, you’re not alone and you don’t have to go it alone,” that producer, Matt Turnbull, said in a since-deleted LinkedIn post that Aftermath thankfully screenshotted for posterity. “No AI tool is a replacement for your voice or your lived experience. But at a time when mental energy is scarce, these tools can help get you unstuck faster, calmer, and with more clarity.”
“I know these types of tools engender strong feelings in people, but l’d be remiss in not trying to offer the best advice I can under the circumstances,” he continued. “I’ve been experimenting with ways to use [large language model] Al tools (like ChatGPT or Copilot) to help reduce the emotional and cognitive load that comes with job loss.”
Yes, you read that right: a Microsoft boss was telling those just laid off by the tech giant that they should use chatbots — run or funded by the company that just fired them — to avoid crying on a company shoulder.
Following that phoned-in introduction, Turnbull offered a few potential prompts for AI as a job loss grief counselor, including those that help with career planning, resume-building, networking, and, our personal favorite, “emotional clarity [and] confidence.”
“I’m struggling with imposter syndrome after being laid off,” Turnbull’s “clarity” prompt reads. “Can you help me reframe this experience in a way that reminds me what I’m good at?”
It comes as little surprise, given how absolutely tone-deaf those suggestions are, that folks on social media had quite a lot to say to the Xbox executive.
“The new Severance season is insanely good,” joked one commentator on X-formerly-Twitter.
As another irked observer wrote on the r/gaming subreddit, “anyone that tells people who were fired to talk to a computer chat algorithm for therapy is insane.”
Indeed, gamers seem to be the most affronted by Turnbull’s attempt at sensitivity and advice, with another X commentator remarking that his response to those layoffs was one of “the most tone-deaf and cruelest things” they’d ever seen.
“I hope this finally shatters the illusion for some people that Xbox is not your good buddy,” that same user quipped.
Though it’s hard to say whether the Xbox producer’s sentiments were sincere or not, it’s clear from the subsequent deletion of the post that he was made to feel some type of way about it after putting it out into the world — and honestly, that potential embarrassment is the most we can hope for with these sorts of tech bros.
More on AI:Journalists Just Roasted Sam Altman To His Face
The latest iPhone software update, iOS 18.5, brought with it a surprise new feature for iPhone 13 users: access to a particular kind of satellite connectivity. The service that will first connect to it, T-Satellite from T-Mobile, goes live on Wednesday, July 23. Here’s all you need to know.
Apple iPhone 13 Pro
Future Publishing via Getty Images
Who’s It For?
First off, this service is available to most Android phones and all iPhones from the iPhone 13 onwards. It’s not the same as the satellite connectivity on the iPhone 14 and later, which uses Globalstar — that depends on hardware the iPhone 13 doesn’t have.
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This service is what’s called carrier-supported satellite connectivity, and the only carrier supporting this right now is T-Mobile (though other networks will follow). It uses Starlink satellites, though, unlike many reports earlier in the year, it emphatically does not install Starlink on your phone.
What It Does
It means that if you are outside the regular cellular network, your phone can stay connected via satellite, for text messages on iPhones. More services will be added and when the service goes live, other features will be available to Android users, including multimedia messaging, picture messaging, and short audio clips.
This kind of satellite connection has been called a “game-changer” because you don’t have to point the phone at the sky for the satellite to see the phone. It can stay in your pocket, even.
When It’s Live
The T-Satellite service is in beta testing but from July 23 will be accessible to any mobile phone user with a suitable device, including AT&T and Verizon subscribers.
“T-Mobile will also provide Starlink subscribers with 911 texting via satellite. Later in the year, that capability will expand to any mobile user with a compatible device, even customers on other carriers and those who don’t subscribe to Starlink,” as ZDNET explained.
The beta service has seen more than 1.8 million users, with “tens of thousands of customers from Verizon and AT&T,” T-Mobile said.
How Much It Costs
If you’re a T-Mobile Experience Beyond subscriber, there’s no extra cost above your regular subscription. Others, including AT&T and Verizon customers can access the service for $10 per month.
ForbesApple iPhone 16 Pro And iPhone 16 Pro Max Prices Slashed Further In Major Sale On NowBy David Phelan
Windows 11 uodate causes Firewall error messages, Microsoft has confirmed.
SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
Microsoft Windows updates: you can’t live without them, but living with them can be tough at times. When high-severity vulnerabilities are uncovered, such as CVE-2025-33073, which can lead to Windows system takeover, updating is a security no-brainer. When vulnerabilities are of the zero-day variety and already subject to ongoing attacks, the need to update is even more critical. The problem that Microsoft has, however, is a history of fumbled update issues that have led to mass confusion at best, and at worst, problems like the startup loop of death that prevent users from being able to use their Windows machines. So, when yet another Windows update problem emerges, the user base heaves yet another sigh of exasperation. Here’s what you need to know about the Windows 11 firewall configuration error, erm, error.
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Microsoft Windows Non-Security Update Leads To Misguided Security Concerns
Windows 11 users are experiencing issues with a Firewall configuration error when using Windows Firewall with Advanced Security, following the June 26 KB5060829 Windows update. One simply cannot ignore the irony of a non-security update leading to security concerns.
Microsoft has now confirmed that the issue is displayed within the Event Viewer under event 2024 for Windows Firewall With Advanced Security. The error appears, Microsoft said, “as Config Read Failed with a message of More data is available.” This error is triggered every time the Windows device is restarted, Microsoft admitted.
The good news in this mess of Microsoft’s own making, is that the error “can be safely ignored,” according to the Seattle tech behemoth. As it does “not reflect an issue with Windows Firewall.”
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The Truth Behind Microsoft’s Latest Windows Update Fumble
So, what is actually going on, beyond the obvious update faux pas? Microsoft’s July 2 update, erm, update, explains this error as being “related to a feature that is currently under development and not fully implemented.” Oh well, that’s OK then, and doesn’t display any lack of proper validation of update integrity before release at all. I mean, it’s good to know that the issue does not have any impact on or to Windows processes and that, as Microsoft has said, it is “working on a resolution and will provide an update in an upcoming release,” but wouldn’t it be better if these things were discovered before the update is made available to one and all?
I have approached Microsoft for a statement.
ForbesMicrosoft’s Password Deadline — You Have 28 Days To DecideBy Davey Winder
Sweden plans to survey immigrants’ values in a bid to improve their integration into the country’s progressive and liberal society, Sweden’s new integration minister said on Sunday.
Sweden’s right-wing government came to power in 2022 backed by the far-right Sweden Democrats, vowing to crack down on immigration and improve the integration of immigrants, among other things.
Integration Minister Simona Mohamsson, who was appointed in a cabinet reshuffle a week ago, said Sweden’s secular, unpatriarchal society can pose challenges for immigrants from more traditional, conservative countries.
“We are an extreme country, in a good way. For people who join our society, it can be a little difficult to navigate,” she told Sweden’s paper of reference Dagens Nyheter in an interview.
Previous surveys conducted by the World Values Survey research group have shown that some newly-arrived immigrants to Sweden have diverging views from native Swedes on issues such as divorce, sex before marriage, abortion and homosexuality.
After 10 years in Sweden, their values had evolved and were more in line with those of native Swedes, according to the World Values Survey.
“Ten years is far too long. That’s a whole generation of girls who don’t get to choose who they want to love or boys who can’t come out of the closet,” Mohamsson said.
Some 3,000 people will be surveyed this autumn about their “values”, half of them of Swedish background and the other half “non-Western”, she explained.
“The result will guide integration efforts going forward.”
She said the plan was “not about changing opinions”, but rather “about upholding the values we have in Sweden.”
Those who choose to come to Sweden have a responsibility to try to be a part of society, she insisted.
“It is not a human right to live in Sweden.”
The Scandinavian country has taken in large numbers of refugees since the 1990s, many fleeing from countries like Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Somalia, Syria and the former Yugoslavia.
But following a large influx in 2015, successive Swedish governments from both the left- and right-wing have tightened asylum rules.
In 2024, around 20 percent of Sweden’s inhabitants were born in another country, compared to around 11 percent in 2000, according to Statistics Sweden.
If there’s one thing my 20-plus years of writing about AV tech have taught me, it’s there’s no such thing as the perfect product.
Whether it’s wireless earbuds, music streamers or flatscreen TVs, there’s always room for improvement, even in the very best five-star performers.
And the world of Dolby Atmos soundbars is no different. It’s a category that has exploded in recent years as support for the audio format has gained momentum, thanks to its ability to add an extra dimension to traditional surround sound.
But what if I had a blank sheet of paper and could create the perfect Dolby Atmos soundbar, combining the best bits from models we’ve had through the What Hi-Fi? Test rooms?
Below, I’ve attempted just that. My aim? To try and build a bar that delivers a bit of everything in your hunt for convenience and amazing, immersive sound quality.
What would you like to see in your ultimate Dolby Atmos soundbar? Let me know in the comments below.
JBL’s flexibility
(Image credit: What Hi-Fi?)
Part of the selling point of a soundbar is the convenience. Many people want to improve their TV’s audio but haven’t got the space for a traditional full-blown surround sound set-up and all the big boxes and reams of cabling that it entails.
The latest hi-fi, home cinema and tech news, reviews, buying advice and deals, direct to your inbox.
This hasn’t stopped the emergence, though, of what we’d call soundbar systems. These halfway house packages include surround speakers, such as the Samsung HW-Q990D.
But even this solution still leaves you with extra boxes cluttering up your living room and, in many cases, these boxes (specifically rear surround speakers) require a power cable running to them.
However, JBL has come up with a genius solution which I would love to see more manufacturers implement. The unique feature of the JBL Bar 1300 is that it has speakers at either end of the soundbar, which, when detached, turn into wireless surrounds.
Not only this, they can be used as portable Bluetooth speakers, which gives you an immense amount of flexibility and added value.
The wireless surrounds even have an upfiring driver, which helps with the dispersion of effects at the rear of your viewing position.
Worried about them running out of steam before the end of your LOTR movie marathon? Battery life of around 12 hours should put your mind at rest (and should even cover you for the extended editions of the Rings trilogy).
Sonos’ precision
(Image credit: What Hi-Fi?)
The Sonos Arc Ultra is arguably the best Dolby Atmos soundbar you can buy if you’re looking at all-round performance for the money. And a huge chunk of its appeal comes from the sound quality it spits out.
In particular, it delivers some of the most precise placement of dialogue, Dolby Atmos effects and bass that we’ve experienced from a standalone soundbar.
In our Sonos Arc review, we noted that the “increased precision helps keep everything organised both rhythmically and spatially”. It’s a dab hand at extracting a real sense of atmosphere from any soundtrack it’s asked to handle.
Lower down the frequency range, we noted that “bass notes hit with greater force and stop more precisely, and they’re tuneful in a way that makes the bass from the original Arc sound somewhat leaden and one-dimensional”.
Partly responsible for this awesome audio are the bar’s Sound Motion drivers. These clever units have four smaller, lightweight motors in opposing corners, which push the cone more than the single motor you find in most traditional drivers.
These motors push the cone to shift far more air and produce far more bass. But the extra agility in the low-frequency performance also makes the Arc Ultra even more musical than its close rivals.
Sony’s scale
(Image credit: What Hi-Fi? / Netflix / Drive To Survive)
No Dolby Atmos soundbar we’ve tested does room-filling sound quite like the Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 9.
While it’s not difficult for a good soundbar to bring an improvement to your TV’s sound, it can be difficult for a soundbar to truly fill your living room and deliver a proper home cinema experience with enough of a sense of scale to make the bar just blend into the background.
Step forward the Bravia Theatre Bar 9. It features 13 drivers and quad passive radiators with the array designed to create a ‘bubble of sound’ in your room using Sony’s 360 Spatial Sound Mapping.
This extra processing creates phantom speakers in places where physical speakers don’t exist, and the effects are fantastic.
Sony also uses its Sound Field Optimisation processing to get the soundbar performing optimally for your particular room layout and viewing conditions.
In our Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 9 review, we said it “puts in arguably the most Atmos-y delivery we’ve heard from a solo soundbar”. We also remarked that it “pushes sound far out to the left and right, a long way into the room and right up to the ceiling” – which is exactly what you want from a soundbar.
The last thing you need to hear is gaps in the sound field, and the Sony is an expert at filling these in.
Samsung’s bass
(Image credit: What Hi-Fi?)
If there’s one area where soundbars can struggle, it’s in the bass department.
Given the laws of physics and the slim dimensions of many soundbars, it probably doesn’t come as much of a surprise that, generally, they can’t unleash a lot of low frequency heft.
But even when a subwoofer is added, the integration between bar and bass box isn’t always perfect and can make the sound more disjointed. The quality of bass can be sub-par too, with explosions and rumbles sounding thick, wallowy and ill-defined.
Which is why I’d take the bass performance from the recently tested Samsung HW-Q990F.
This soundbar package includes a cool cube subwoofer that not only hits hard with plenty of power behind it but also sounds controlled and dynamic, and paints low frequencies with the kind of tonal texture you rarely hear from such systems.
In our Samsung HW-Q990F review, we said bass sounds “organic, balanced, and seamlessly integrated into the system”, which is a tricky thing to accomplish.
Nakamichi’s features
(Image credit: What Hi-Fi?)
The Nakamichi Dragon 11.4.6 might not have blown us away in the sound department, but there are a few features I’m drawn to that seem to make sense for a Dolby Atmos soundbar.
Take the satellite speakers. Each unit features two drivers pointing in different directions so that they can serve as surround or surround-back speakers.
Not only this, each one has an upward-firing driver on top that can be rotated to five pre-set positions to angle the overhead sound towards your seating position.
Other soundbars could learn from the Nakamichi’s wired connectivity and excellent choice of inputs too. These include an HDMI eARC socket plus three full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 connections that support 4K up to 120Hz, or 8K up to 60Hz, as well as VRR and ALLM.
The Dragon 11.4.6 also supports HDR10, HDR10+ and Dolby Vision HDR through those HDMI passthrough ports. All Dolby formats are supported, as is DTS:X Pro, which is a rarity in the world of soundbars.
Oh, and did I mention this bonkers bar even has a concierge service, which you can use if you’re having any technical difficulties?
MORE:
After hours of measuring, I have come to the conclusion that full-fat Dolby Atmos doesn’t work in normal homes
3 reasons why video streaming devices remain relevant TV upgrades – but probably not for long
We asked you, What Hi-Fi?’s readers, if movies are better streamed or on a disc – and your responses made one thing clear
Intel software engineers continue ironing out their Linux support for Bartlett Lake.
Bartlett Lake is a P-core only processor making use of Raptor Cove cores that had been rumored for embedded systems and other long-term LGA-1700 based offerings. Intel engineers have been plumbing various elements of the Bartlett Lake platform support and for Linux 6.17 the Error Detection And Correction (EDAC) support for the system memory is en route.
Queued via this patch in edac-for-next is adding Bartlett Lake-S SoC support to the ie31200 EDAC driver.
“Bartlett Lake-S is a derivative of Raptor Lake-S and is optimized for IoT/Edge applications. It shares the same memory controller registers as Raptor Lake-S. Add compute die IDs of Bartlett Lake-S and reuse the configuration data of Raptor Lake-S for Bartlett Lake-S EDAC support.”
So with these IDs in place, with Linux 6.17 the EDAC support for Bartlett Lake should be in good shape.
Also in edac-for-next is adding support to the ie31200 driver for the Core i5 14600 and Core i7 14700 processors (non-K, K, and T variants) that was mistakenly left out.
Tap the small “i” icon on the left of the toolbar if you need more prompts about the voice commands you can use. If you want to keep on using voice typing in other input boxes and across other apps until you turn it off, double-tap the mic icon.
If voice typing doesn’t work, check that it’s enabled (it should be, by default): From Settings on Android, pick System > Keyboard > On-screen keyboard > Gboard > Voice typing. The same screen lets you enable offline access for the feature, and enable or disable automatic punctuation breaks as you talk.
The voice typing process is similar on other types of Android handset, though it might not be identical. On Galaxy phones, the Samsung Keyboard is the default, and with this keyboard the mic icon you need to tap is down in the lower left corner. To make sure voice typing is an option, from Settings choose General management > Samsung keyboard > Voice input.
iOS
Over on the iPhone, you’ve also got access to voice typing wherever you need it. The default keyboard is the one supplied by Apple, though you can also use alternatives such as Gboard if you wish. The keyboard shows up whenever text needs to be entered, and you can tap the mic button (bottom right) to start talking instead of typing.
You can use a variety of commands while you’re talking. Just name an emoji (like “heart emoji”) or say the name of a punctuation symbol (such as “exclamation mark”) to insert the character at the current cursor position.
It’s possible to split text into blocks using the “new line” and “new paragraph” commands, which is handy if you’re composing a long message. You can also say “undo” or “redo” to go backwards or forwards in terms of the words you’ve dictated.
The cursor shows a blue mic on iOS when you’re dictating.
Courtesy of David Nield
Your iPhone also lets you use commands like “select sentence” and “delete paragraph” to give you more control over the blocks of text you’re working with. Sometimes the precision isn’t as good as it could be, but you should be able to compose a large part of most of your messages through this method.
However, the iPhone doesn’t give you an easy way to submit the text you’ve entered, like Android does with the “send” or “search” commands—though in some cases searches will be automatically triggered once you stop talking. Generally, you need to stop voice dictation (by tapping the mic button or saying “stop dictation”), and then tap on the button for sending or submitting your text.
This should be set up by default with iOS, but if it’s not working, open up General > Keyboard from iOS Settings, and make sure the Enable Dictation toggle switch is turned on. The other options here, such as automatic punctuation, are applied whether you’re speaking out or typing your text.
Apple and Samsung brought eight new emoji to their devices this year with the releases of iOS 18.4 and One UI 7. The new emoji include a face with bags under its eyes and a splatter, but what do these new emoji, and the thousands of others, mean?
A “😃” or “❤️” are easy to understand, but how are “😩” and “😭” different, and what does it mean when someone sends you food emoji like “🍆” or “🍑”? Over time, emoji meanings have become subjective, depending on a message’s context and wider cultural trends.
That face says it all.
Apple
Which shaking smiley face should you use? Is there a difference between each different colored heart? Does the peach emoji actually mean fruit anymore? Here’s how to figure out what all 3,790 emoji mean and what emoji could be next.
Read more:We Could Get a Sasquatch Emoji Soon
Emojipedia is here to help
Emojipedia is an online encyclopedia of emoji managed by people who research emoji. The site sorts emoji into nine categories, including Smileys, People, Objects, Activity and more. Each category then breaks down emoji into further subsections. So if you click into Smileys, for example, you’ll see sections like Smiling & Affectionate and Sleepy & Unwell.
If you click an individual emoji, Emojipedia will give you a brief description of that emoji. For example, here’s what Emojipedia writes about the “✨” sparkles emoji:
“Commonly used to indicate various positive sentiments, including love, happiness, beauty, gratitude, and excitement, as well as newness or cleanliness.
May also be used as a form of ✨emphasis✨ or to convey sarcastic or mocking tones.”
Emojipedia will also give you a list of other emoji that this particular emoji works well with. In the case of the “🎁” wrapped gift emoji, for example, Emojipedia’s suggestions include the “🥳” partying face and the “🛒” shopping cart.
What’s a text message without an emoji or two?
Jason Cipriani/CNET
Each Emojipedia entry also shows you the different artwork for each emoji across platforms, as well as how the artwork evolved. The emoji entry will also show you shortcodes and other names for each emoji, if applicable.
What are the most popular emoji?
You may have your own go-to emoji, but according to Emojipedia, these are the most popular emoji as of the beginning of July. The list changes periodically, so what’s popular now might not be popular next month or around a holiday. Note that not all platforms support all the latest emoji, so they may not all appear on your device.
What are the latest emoji?
Emojipedia
In September, Google unveiled Emoji 16.0, which includes eight new emoji. Here are the new emoji.
Apple included these emoji with iOS 18.4 in March, and Samsung brought these emoji to some devices with One UI 7 in April and more devices since then. WhatsApp introduced these emoji to its app in January.
How often are new emoji added?
Anyone can submit an idea for a new emoji. The Unicode Standard — a universal character encoding standard — is responsible for creating new emoji. Unicode proposed nine new emoji in November, 2024, including a Sasquatch and an orca. However, those are just proposed emoji. Unicode will decide in September which emoji to add next.
Emojipedia
What about custom emoji, like Apple’s Genmoji?
Apple unveiled its emoji generator, Genmoji, at WWDC 2024, and the tech giant included the feature in iOS 18.2. However, only people with an iPhone 15 Pro or Pro Max or a device from the iPhone 16 lineup can access Genmoji for now.
If you can’t use Genmoji and want to create your own custom emoji, Emojipedia is home to two custom emoji generators.
Emojipedia
First is Emojipedia’s AI emoji generator. You can use this tool to create anything from a frog wearing a cowboy hat to a heart shaped pizza. You type your description of the emoji into the generator, and the tool will create an emoji based on your description. You can then download or copy your custom emoji to your clipboard and use it as a sticker across messaging apps like WhatsApp and iMessage. This emoji generator is free, but you can only generate three emoji per day so make sure you describe your emoji as much as possible so you don’t waste one of your tries.
If you do run out of AI emoji generations for the day, you can also use the Emoji Mashup Bot, which combines two emoji from the Twemoji set. You can use this as many times as you want, but you can only choose up to 113 emoji to combine and they are all smileys. That means you can’t be as creative in your creation as you might be in the AI emoji generator.
All this just for emoji?
Yeah, but wait there’s more! Emojipedia also hosts the World Emoji Awards on World Emoji Day, July 17. Awards are given for things like Most Popular New Emoji and Most Anticipated Emoji. Winners are determined by popular vote on X, formerly known as Twitter, and any emoji approved the year prior is eligible to win.
New emoji are added every year, and there are even awards given out for new emoji.
Emojipedia
The winner for the Most Popular New Emoji in 2024 was the head shaking horizontally (🙂↔️) followed by the head shaking vertically (🙂↕️) and the phoenix (🐦🔥). The winner of the Most Anticipated Emoji went to the face with bags under its eyes and the Most 2024 Emoji award went to the melting face (🫠) for the second year in a row — it still fits.
The sparkles (✨) emoji was also given the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2024. Emojipedia wrote that this emoji has been among the most popular emoji since 2015, and it’s been adopted as the go-to image for AI.
In 2023, the most popular emoji was the pink heart emoji (🩷) and the runner-up was the shaking face (🫨). The most anticipated emoji award in 2023 went to the head shaking horizontally (🙂↔️).
For more, here are the latest approved emoji, how to react to messages with emoji on your iPhone and how to use emoji instead of comments in Google Docs.
On any given track day, you’re sure to see some high-dollar sports cars and overconfident drivers lining up in the pits like kings of the tarmac. But all it takes is one humble Honda to show up and quiet everyone’s bravado, not with a raspy exhaust note, but with quick lap times.
This old Honda doesn’t have a turbocharger or even a rear-wheel-drive configuration, nor does it cost three times your monthly rent like most new BMWs. But it can turn laps faster than an E46 M3 (depending on the track). We’re talking about the 2006 Honda Civic Si, the $12,000 track assassin.
Base Trim Engine
1.8L I4
Base Trim Transmission
5-speed manual
Base Trim Drivetrain
Front-Wheel Drive
Base Trim Horsepower
140 HP @6300 RPM
Base Trim Torque
128 lb.-ft. @ 4300 RPM
To give you the most up-to-date and accurate information possible, the data used to compile this article was sourced from various manufacturers and other authoritative sources, including Kelley Blue Book, Car and Driver, and Edmunds.
The 8th-Generation Honda Civic Si Is Quicker Than You Think
Before you scoff at the thought of a Honda turning quicker lap times than a BMW, hear us out. The eighth-generation Honda Civic Si was built with track driving in mind, thanks to its high-revving VTEC engine, close-ratio six-speed manual transmission, and taut suspension. But since it was based on the commuter-friendly base Civic, it’s still very practical for the daily commute. As an added plus, it comes in coupe or sedan form to fit a variety of lifestyles.
Legendary VTEC Power Stretches Its Legs
Since the Honda Civic Si is mainly a high-performance version of the basic Civic, it’s important to point out what makes it go fast. Of course, the main culprit is its naturally aspirated 2.0-liter K20Z3 engine that utilizes VTEC technology to make its power. In case you are not aware of what VTEC is, it stands for “variable valve timing and lift electronic control,” which is a technical way of saying that the engine can breathe better at higher rpm due to higher-lift cam lobes that help with the top-end power.
Performance Specifications
Engine
2.0-liter VTEC inline-four
Transmission
6-speed manual
Horsepower
197 hp
Torque
139 lb-ft
Driveline
FWD
0-60 mph
6.7 to 7.3 seconds
Skidpad
0.91 g
However, when the car is driven normally, it retains its drivability and good fuel economy, 23 MPG combined to be exact, by using the lower-lift cam lobe to give the car a normal driving feel. What results is having two cars in one: a sedate daily driver when the driver shifts below 6,000 rpm and a track terror when it’s shifted at its 8,000 rpm redline. Additionally, the Civic Si is fitted with a stiffer suspension, a limited-slip differential, 17-inch wheels and tires, and larger front and rear disc brakes for better all-around performance.
As a result, the 2006 Honda Civic Si was able to get down the quarter-mile in 15.1 seconds, and it pulled 0.91g on the skidpad, according to Car and Driver‘s testing. It may not be able to beat an E46 M3 in a drag race, but it sure can keep up in the corners.
Related
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On paper, the 2025 Honda Civic Si’s technical specifications are a bit depressing. Driving it reveals something else.
If You Need More Power, This Civic Si Responds Well to Modifications
Yes, the eighth-generation Honda Civic Si only makes 197 horsepower, which isn’t much compared to your average M3, but the good news is that it can be modified to make more power. Looking at the aftermarket, there are plenty of modifications to be found for this platform, from cold-air intake systems to full-on supercharger kits, which can easily double the horsepower of the car.
However, if you don’t need that much power and plan to drive the car on the street, then strapping the usual bolt-on parts like an intake, a freer-flowing header, and a larger exhaust could do the trick. There are some current owners posting dyno charts of their cars on Reddit, showing that they made over 200 horsepower at the wheels with those basic bolt-ons and some ECU tuning.
But if you really want to beat some BMWs in any race situation, then a supercharger or turbocharger kit should be in order. Some of these kits can increase the Civic’s horsepower rating to around 380 and pump the torque number up to around 240 pound-feet, making the 2,800-pound commuter car a force to be reckoned with. There are some owners with force-fed Civics running 12 and 13-second quarter-mile times at the drag strip, which can easily keep up with most of the older E36 and E46 BMW M3s. Also, with enough power and suspension modifications, we’re sure a fully modified Civic can keep up with a new M3, while costing a fraction of the price, including the modifications.
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The 2006-2011 Honda Civic Si Is Also Very Practical
Honda
Performance modification and speed aside, the 2006-2011 Honda Civic Si is also very practical. As stated, this particular platform was produced as a two-door coupe and a four-door sedan (2007 and up) to cater to everyone’s needs. As such, the Civic has a usable backseat, with room for five, in addition to a decent-sized trunk. Specifically, the Civic coupe has 11.5 cubic feet of cargo space, while the sedan has 12.
There is no car out there that drives like a Honda does. The Si is one of the best cars on the road when it comes to performance, features, safety, and money savings. This car is extremely fun to drive and doesn’t need any modifications to make it fast.
-2006 Honda Civic Si owner via Edmunds
A Sporty And Practical Interior Supports Daily Fun
Aside from its sportier powertrain, what set the eighth-generation Civic Si apart from its base counterpart was its interior. The Civic Si’s interior was completely blacked out with suede-covered sport seats up front and nicely bolstered seats in the rear. The fabric and extra bolstering support the occupants under heavy cornering. Additionally, the Civic Si came with the following enhancements:
Leather-wrapped steering wheel
Sport pedals
Premium audio system—a 360-watt AM/FM/CD system with seven speakers
60/40 split seatback
Bluetooth
USB port
Satellite radio
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This Fun Civic Costs Less Than $12,000
Honda
The best part about the eighth-generation Honda Civic Si is its price. Sure, you can easily beat a BMW around a track with its superior handling capabilities and aftermarket modifications, but you have to buy one first. Fortunately, Kelly Blue Book lists the average used price for a 2011 Honda Civic Si sedan at $9,445, which is very affordable.
However, it should be noted that real-world prices can differ due to the Civic Si’s popularity and scarcity. A nationwide search on CarGurus shows 2006-2011 Honda Civic Si models selling for anywhere between $7,000 and $12,000, depending on the car’s location and condition. That said, this little pocket rocket could be what you’re looking for if you want a comfortable and fuel-efficient daily commuter that can do double duty as a weekend track toy, despite what onlookers in the paddock might think or say when you pull in.
